Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade has confirmed she is fully fit following Nigeria’s 1-0 win over Botswana in their second group game at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Soccernet.ng reports.
Pachuca forward Chinwendu Ihezuo scored the only goal of the game late on to hand the Super Falcons all three points and secure their place in the quarterfinals.
Speaking after the hard-fought encounter at Stade Larbi Zaouli, Ajibade expressed gratitude to her teammates, the coaching crew, and supporters, and also emphasised that the victory was a collective effort and not an individual performance.
“Very grateful to God Almighty for winning this game,” Ajibade said, in a video shared by Ademola Victor. “I will be deceiving myself if I say I did it alone. Special thanks to my teammates — it’s a collective effort. We fought to the very end as a team. It was a very difficult one, but all thanks to my teammates, all thanks to the technical team, and all thanks to the supporters that came out to gear us today.”
Ajibade praised Botswana’s resilience, and admitted that the Falcons did not expect an easy ride despite Nigeria’s reputation as tournament favourites.
“My overall view against Botswana is that Botswana is a good side. In this tournament, nobody can be underrated. To qualify for this tournament, they are a very good and exceptional side,” she noted. “The fact that we are Nigerians doesn’t mean it is going to be an easy sail over for all of us. So it was a very challenging game and a very competitive one. We are grateful to God that we got a win in the end.”
The former Atletico Madrid star also cleared any doubts regarding her fitness, and assured Nigerians she is injury-free and determined to keep giving her best.
“Talking about myself, I don’t have any injuries, and I am 100 percent fit. I am doing what I can to the best of my abilities, and I will keep pushing,” she affirmed.
Ajibade shed light on her flexible role within Coach Justin Madugu’s tactical setup, revealing how positioning helps the team break down stubborn defences.
“Not that I am playing as a free player — we have a game plan. Sometimes I play like an attacking forward, and sometimes I play as a right winger. Me and my teammate, we have this connection between ourselves. We just have to be flexible players on the field; we don’t have to be static,” Ajibade explained.
“The most important thing is how to break down the opponent’s defence. We just have to look for the best possible way to break the opposition’s defence. It’s just about flexibility and not being a static player on the pitch.”
Watch Ajibade’s Post-Match Reaction Here:
Rasheedat Ajibade – TotalEnergies Woman of the Match. ️#TotalEnergiesWAFCON2024 pic.twitter.com/HPievi4RQU
— Dr. Victor Ademola (@AdemolaVictorTv) July 11, 2025
The Super Falcons now sit atop Group B with six points from two games, having sealed their spot in the quarterfinals of WAFCON 2024.